How to Create Your Meals

How to Create Your Meals

July 12, 2019

If you are
looking to see results from all your hard work in the gym then you can’t skip
the nutrition aspect of it all. I know it gets confusing with all the trendy
diets and gimmicks out there but if you just follow a couple of simple tips
then you will get ahead of the game.I highly recommend keeping a food journal for a least a week. You have to know where you are currently before you can change where you are going. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator and then go to http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/ to figure out your macros and follow the tips based on your goals (weight loss or gain weight)

The above calculator will give you your Basic metabolic rate this is the number of calories you need daily just to accomplish life sustaining functions. Don’t go below this number! Once you follow the Harris Benedict Equation to determine your daily calories for your activity level (TDEE, total daily energy expenditure) then you can adjust calories to lose weight or gain weight. The TDEE is the number of calories you need based on your BMR and activity to maintain where you are right now.

Remember it takes 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat. You have three options here- in order to lose 1 pound of fat a week you need a 500 calorie deficit 7 days a week. Option 1- burn 500 calories a day through exerciseOption 2- reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 caloriesOption 3- burn 250 calories a day through exercise and reduce your daily calorie intake by 250 calories.

When designing your meal plan think of protein first, this should cover a little more than a quarter of your plate. Think fruit or vegetables second and this should cover a little more than a quarter of your plate and then think complex carbohydrates which should be about a quarter of your plate.

Your plate should be colorful. Having every food in the same color scheme is depressing, add bright reds, yellows, greens to liven up your plate and make food more exciting.

Experiment with spices- cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and turmeric have major health benefits; learn different ways to use them

Protein should be in every meal. Some meals you will have fats and no carbs and others just the opposite BUT Protein and veg will be your mainstays

Pre and Post workout meals should be your heaviest carbohydrate intake. Protein needs to be high In order to repair the muscle breakdown that just happened during your lifting session and carbohydrates are needed for energy and recovery. Around 30 grams of each should be enough.

When it comes to meal planning opt for whole unprocessed foods. Just because a wrapper says “healthy, sugar free, gluten free, etc” doesn’t mean you need to consume it on a daily basis. Think about eating more food that doesn’t come in a package and hasn’t been through all kinds of processing. Fresh is best, then frozen, then canned as a last resort.

Remember
your health is your responsibility. No one can take care of it for you. No one
can make you show up daily to work out or to make the right food choices. You have
to make yourself a priority. We all can come up with a million excuses about
how we don’t have the time or this or that hurts, or how uncomfortable we are
working out in front of others, or that we don’t know what to do. But that is
nothing but EXCUSES.

The Truth is
you cannot be a role model for anyone else or a care taker if you are not even
taking care of yourself. You have one body and you have to make that body last
for years and years. You have to decide what kind of body you want to spend
decades in… One with aches and pains and that can hardly move or one that is
healthy, vibrant and that you feel confident in.

P.S If you don’t know what to do in the gym, we have many online programs customized to your equipment and goals. For more information head over to https://www.transformations4life.com/